Two Lehigh Valley residents are among 25 winners of a cruise
to the Galapagos Islands with “Jeopardy!” game show host Alex Trebek.

Karen Yellin, 58, of Bethlehem, and Dennis King, 60, of
Shoemakersville, Berks County, will travel with Trebek Oct. 16-25 aboard the
National Geographic Endeavor.

The contest, "Win a Galapagos Adventure with Alex
Trebek," was launched to celebrate the 25th anniversary of ABC's “Jeopardy!” To
enter, viewers had to watch the show and submit that day's Final Jeopardy!
category online. One winner was chosen each day of the contest, March 30-May 1. Yellin, her husband Stanley and 25-year-old
sonMichael Willey entered the sweepstakes every day.

"We watch almost every night and we thought we'd all
try," says Yellin, who has been watching the show for 30 years. King also
entered every day.

King says he was notified that he won on the third day of
the contest, but continued to enter the sweepstakes every day because he was in
disbelief.

More than 2.2. million entries were submitted by over
350,000 viewers.

Neither Yellin nor King have appeared as contestants on the
show. Yellin's husband tried out online, but was unable to attend the regional
auditions.

The cruise is the
first-ever travel expedition with Trebek. Each winner is allowed to bring one
guest. Yellin says she will take her son; King will take his wife, Beverly.

"I'm looking forward to sharing this spectacular
exploration of natural history with some of our ‘Jeopardy' fans," says Trebek.

Pennsylvanian pitchman Billy Mays, who passed away on Saturday night, was on Conan with "Pitchmen" co-star Andrew Sullivan and was nothing short of awesome. A highlight is Mays talking about how he used to hawk stuff on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. I love that neither salesman takes themselves or their products very seriously. RIP, you loud selling-machine of a man.

Discovery is airing a marathon of "Pitchmen" on Wednesday starting at 11 a.m.

The movie’s message is a simple: Don’t judge a book by its cover, and all people are basically equal. The plot that delivers you to those messages is a little more convoluted.

Lovato plays Rosie, the princess in the small country of Costa Luna, where her father has died and she is about to take over the throne when the military general ruler of a neighboring country stages a (really, really) bloodless coup – oh, if only Iraq would have been this simple.

Rosie flees to an international “princess protection program” that establishes new identities for young royalty: in Lovato’s case, in the Louisiana home of Carter Mason (Gomez), whose single father (Tom Verica) is secretly Lovato’s security guard.

Of course, the princess must learn to live as a commoner, but predictably attracts the attention of Gomez’s boy crush Donny (Robert Adamson), becomes popular at her new school and incurs the wrath of the (always, in Disney’s world) mean “in crowd.”

When both Lovato and Gomez are nominated as homecoming queen, Lovato’s identity is revealed when a classmate sees her picture in People magazine. Some disguise, huh? I mean, after all, she is living with her security guard!

Will Gomez and Lovato battle over the homecoming title or band to win out over the evil ruler. This is Disney, what do you think?

The thin plot and Disney-TV-level acting aren’t surprising and, frankly, that's why people watch Disney. The real disappointment is how little of Lovato’s music is in the movie. This is no “Camp Rock” when it comes to tunes: There’s a duet with Gomez called "One And The Same" and the ending features her “Two Worlds Collide.”

Will Bryan and Jenny replace Jon and Kate in the hearts of reality-TV viewers who are longing for wholesome, slice-of-life, family entertainment?

Bryan and Jenny Masche are the stars of WE-TV's new reality show, "Raising Sextuplets," which airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. Their instant family -- instant meaning they went from 0 to 6 in nine months -- are six adorable toddlers: Savannah, Molli, Bailey, Grant, Cole and Blake, born June 11, 2007.

The new series is a spin-off of a successful WE-TV special. Six episodes were filmed, following Jenny, Bryan and the babies over the course of half a year, starting when the now 2-year-old sextuplets were 16 months old.

Bryan's a pharmaceutical salesman who, during the filming, also is going to the University of Phoenix to earn his MBA. Jenny goes back to work as a physician's assistant in the E.R. at a nearby medical center, so they bring in a nanny to help with the kids while she's gone.

The show takes you inside the lives of the Masches, who were a typical American couple with diverse interests until the sextuplets turned their lives upside down ... in a good way. Sound familiar?

Although the Masches are shy a set of twins,"Raising Sextuplets" has alll the cuteness TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8" has (or had) and more. You see Jenny attempt to cope with the almost impossible task of taking six little ones along to her doctor appointment. And you watch Bryan try to carve a pumpkin as toddlers climb all over him and get into mischief while he's preoccupied.

But unlike the battling Gosselins, Jenny and Bryan have an apparently happy marriage with a lot of love going around. It's almost like stepping back in time when Jon and Kate, now facing a divorce, lived a seemingly idyllic life centered around their children.

On camera, Jenny and Bryan have disagreements, but they work it out. Bryan's not a pushover who buckles to Jenny's demands. When he's not on the same page as she is, he tells her so. And Jenny doesn't belittle him for being him. When a problem escalates, they sit down and talk about it to keep their "team" emotionally healthy.

"Raising Sextuplets" also has family -- both Jenny's and Bryan's -- actively involved in their lives. Bryan's dad and brothers are building a much needed 500-square-foot addition onto to the couple's Lake Havasu City, Arizona, home. Jenny's mom comes over to help with the kids. Her grandmother drops in regularly to do the laundry. Cousins come over to play. Did you ever wonder where Jon's and Kate's families were?

There's no denying Jenny and Bryan have a lot in common with Jon and Kate. In one of the initial episodes, Jenny even goes for a tummy tuck, just like Kate.

And the best thing about "Raising Sextuplets" is everyone is happy, except for a crying toddler every now and then. When was the last time you saw everyone happy on "Jon & Kate Plus 8'?

Besides being a surprisingly apt metaphor for the Gosselins' relationship, the Kids Crooked Houses donated to the family of eight by the Maine-based company were some of the most expensive kid playthings I've ever seen.

The pint-size wood playhouses are built with odd angles and fanciful colors. The Gosselin brood received four houses that they helped design -- a pirate ship, a vet clinic, a garden shop and a haunted house -- which are estimated to cost about $7,000 a piece. Here's some perspective: my editor told me he paid $43,000 for his first house.

Kids Crooked Houses has built about 500 playhouses since 2005. The houses were comped but the company was rewarded with priceless product placement: 10 million viewers tuned in to the episode and the company's website has received half a million visitors.

According to the Crooked Houses site, one single room unpainted and unassembled house costs around $1,200. And that's before delivery costs.

Of course, this kind of freebie-ed expense doesn't much matter to a family whose divorce agreement -- kids stay in the Wernersville house and Jon and Kate switch off residences -- essentially requires the family to have three homes.

The children were delighted with the houses while Jon and Kate had a frosty argument about where to put the new playthings.

What do you think of the Crooked Houses? Cute but costly or totally worth it? Sound off in the comments.

Well this will be awkward. According to Gatecrasher, when the show returns in Aug., Jon Gosselin's paramour Deanna Hummel will join the cast. Hummel is a Reading area teacher and she and Jon met in a Reading club called Chill. She is 23 years old. Jon and Deanna were spotted in Park City, Utah around June 15. Deanna's brother has told the media that she is Jon's "mistress".

TLC says that it will be focusing on how Jon and Kate share time and responsibilities with their family.

TLC has made the decision to put "Jon & Kate Plus 8" on hiatus
while the Gosselins start divorce proceedings. According to Bloomberg
News, the highly rated show -- last night episode garnered 10.6 million
viewers -- will be replaced with a retrospective show on June 29 and
will be off the air until Aug. 3.

The decision was made by the network and not the family. Though it may seem an altruistic move on the surface, with the turmoil of the Gosselin's marriage, production may have not had enough footage for new episodes. Sources inside the production team say the episode are being finished at the very last minute, sometimes the day the show airs.

Oddly enough, since the divorce announcement, the family -- Jon, Kate and the brood -- have all been living in the Wernersville home.

Food Network has ordered up a sixth season of its highest-rated reality series, The Next Food Network Star, the network announced today. With the current season going strong on-air, the cabler is already looking for outstanding chefs and home cooks to compete for the opportunity to win his or her own Food Network series during the 2010 season.

The network is set to conduct a nationwide talent search and encourages both professional and amateur chefs to apply. Open-call auditions will be held around the country throughout July and August. Contestant hopefuls should bring an application, photograph, and resume and/or bio to the auditions, which will allow them to meet with network casting directors. Interested candidates unable to attend an open casting call may submit a three-minute audition video explaining why he or she should be Food Network’s newest star. For applications, contest rules, and submission instructions simply visit www.FoodNetwork.com/Star.

To see the casting locations, including one in nearby New York City, come inside...

TLC has made the decision to put "Jon & Kate Plus 8" on hiatus while the Gosselins start divorce proceedings. According to Bloomberg News, the highly rated show -- last night episode garnered 10.6 million viewers -- will be replaced with a retrospective show on June 29 and will be off the air until Aug. 3.

The children will remain in the Wernersville home with Jon and Kate switching between residences. TLC has aired six episodes of the 40 ordered for the fifth season.

In a statement, the network said:

"TLC continues to support the Gosselin family and will work closely with them to determine the best way to continue to tell their story as they navigate through this difficult time."

McMahon, who spent a short time in Philadelphia while growing up, moved to the city on Sept. 12, 1954, to host variety and cooking shows at WCAU-TV and radio for $75 a week. He was the announcer for network’s radio show, “The Ol’ Night Owl, Powers Gouraud” and co-hosted “Home Highlights” with Jean Corbet’s “Action in the Afternoon,” according to broadcastpioneers.com. He also hosted “Two for the Money” on Channel 10 and carted the film out of the vault to introduce the “Million Dollar Movie.”

While in Philadelphia, McMahon and his wife, Alyce Ferrill, whom he married in 1949, and the couple’s four children family lived in Drexel Hill. For a while he and Dick Clark, who at the time was an announcer on Channel 6, were neighbors in a complex called Drexelbrook. Later, in the 1990s, McMahon and Clark paired up to host the ... network show, “Bloopers and Practical Jokes.”

With the legendary John Facenda and announcer Harry K. Smith, McMahon also visited Allentown in the 1950s to introduce a Christmas book at Hess’s.

In 1954, as clown for the nationally televised “Big Top”show on CBS-TV, a program that originated on WCAU-TV, he was invited to be announcer at the Allentown Fair.

In the summer of 1967, McMahon, best known for his stint as Johnny Carson's sidekick on "The Tonight Show," introduced Carson on The Allentown Fair’s grandstand stage with his trademark phrase, “Heeeeeere’s Johnny!”During the 1960s, he returned to Allentown to be grand marshal of city’s St. Patrick's Parade with his first wife, Ferrill. Their 27-year marriage ended in 1976.

Jon and Kate kept saying on last night's episode that the decision to divorce is better for the kids. The couple released statement about the split after the show. Via People:

Kate's statement:"Over the course of this weekend, Jon's activities have left me no
choice but to file legal procedures in order to protect myself and our
children," Kate said in a statement Monday night. "While there are
reasons why it was appropriate and necessary for me to initiate this
proceeding, I do not wish to discuss those reasons at this time, in the
hope that all issues will be resolved amicably between Jon and myself.
As always, my first priority remains our children."

Jon's statement:"This afternoon, Kate filed for divorce. Our kids are still my number
one priority. I love them and want to make sure they stay happy,
healthy and safe. My job is being the best, most supportive and loving
father that I can be to my kids, and not being married to Kate doesn't
change that."

Do you think Jon and Kate are really divorcing for the kids? They could walk away from the show to enter therapy (although a whopping 40 episodes have been ordered for the fifth season). Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Jon and Kate Gosselin announced Monday on their TLC show "Jon & Kate Plus 8" that they have decided to separate and filed legal proceedings Monday to dissolve their ten-year marriage, or in other words, get a divorce.

On a special one-hour episode touted by TLC as containing a "big announcement" from the Berks County couple, Jon and Kate were visibly upset as they talked about their disintegrating relationship.

"It's been so stressful," said Jon tersely. "This has been the hardest episode ever to shoot."

Jon was the one who broke the news 3/4 of the way through the episode that they would separate during one of the solo interviews that have become commonplace on the once cozy show.

The couple said they planned to continue filming the show and would take turns living in their Wernersville home with the kids.

"The show must go on," Kate said grimly. "We've always done the show for the kids to be able to provide for them."

Earlier in the episode, the couple bickered about where to build playhouses for the twins and sextuplets for much of the episode with Kate saying that any disagreement now turns into a "huge blow-up."

"Jon has a lot of anger towards me," she said. "We can't go back. I'm tired of smiling on the outside and crying on the inside."

She said the breakdown of the marriage was a "slow progression," that wasn't brought on by the show.

Calling the marriage "a roller coaster ride that went off the tracks," Jon said he finally stood up after letting Kate "rule the roost."

"We don't have anything now," he said. "We're just two people who happen to live here."

Both said they don't hate the other and that it was best for the kids for them to be apart.

"It's not good for the kids for us to be arguing in front of them," Jon said. Kate also admitted she doesn't want to be alone and it appears she will fight for as much time with the children as possible."I've told them I will never not see my kids on a holiday," she said.

It looks like the slow-moving tragedy train of Jon and Kate Gosselin's marriage has come to a lurching halt. According to People, the couple filed divorce papers this afternoon in a Doylestown courthouse.

The Gosselins are set to make a "big announcement" tonight on their TLC show. Many have speculated that the Wernersville couple would make the split official.

Both Jon and Kate have dealt with accusations of cheating and rarely, if ever, interview together on the fifth season of their highly rated TLC show.

Fans of the HBO blockbuster Band of Brothers were left drooling Sunday night as HBO released a more in-depth second trailer to the upcoming WWII miniseries "The Pacific."

You can see the trailer below:

The latest Tom Hanks and Stephen Spielberg miniseries will follow the lives of three United States Marines -- John Basilone (played by Jon Seda, "Kevin Hill," "Homicide"), Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale, "24," "The Black Donnellys") and Eugene Sledge (Joe Mazzello, "Jurassic Park," "Simon Birch") -- from their first days of the war to their return home following V-J Day.

The rumor mill is in overdrive as viewers anticipate the "major announcement" from Jon and Kate Gosselin on tonight's one-hour special of the TLC show "Jon & Kate Plus 8." For many viewers who have watched the Berks County couple drift farther and farther apart both on and off the show, divorce or at least a separation seems inevitable.

In a promotional video posted by TLC hyping the special, Kate Gosselin says, “Recently, we’ve made some life-changing decisions ones that we hope will bring each of us some peace.”

“Very swiftly we turned into two different people,” Kate said on the fifth-season premiere last month, which attracted nearly 10 million viewers. Subsequent episodes have had less than half thatviewership. Now TLC is banking on the promise of a major announcement to woo viewers back. The show is scheduled to air at 9 p.m. Besides being on the covers of tabloids and news magazines, the couple is now facing allegations of overworking their sextuplets and twins and Pennsylvania’s Labor Department has opened an investigation into whether the show’s production is complying with state child labor laws. TLC has said it “fully complies” with state laws and regulations.

So what's next for Jon and Kate. Is this the end of their marriage? Or is this just another publicity ploy to keep viewers tuning into TLC's hottest show? Let us know what you think.

Katherine Heigl will return to Grey's Anatomy for the show's sixth season, according to a statement just released by ABC. The news comes the same day series creator Shonda Rhimes officially confirmed the exit of T.R. Knight.

The announcement not only ends months of speculation on whether Heigl would stay or leave, but pretty much renders the season five cliffhanger (and now the season six premiere) a moot point, all but assuring that Heigl's Izzie Stevens will live and Knight's Dr. George O'Malley will die.

“I think I speak for the entire Grey’s Anatomy family when I say we wish T.R. Knight the best in his future endeavors. He is an incredibly talented actor and a person whose strength of character is admired by all of us," Rhimes said.

Knight responded through his P.R. person by issuing the following statement:

"Leaving Grey's Anatomy was not an easy decision for me to make. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to play this character and will miss my fellow cast and crew very much. I continue to wish them the very best, and wholeheartedly thank all of the fans who have supported me and the show with such passion and enthusiasm."

Accoring to TV Guide, no statement is forthcoming from Heigl. It was also announced that Jessica Capshaw (Dr. Arizona Robbins) will continue on the show as a series regular.

According to RadarOnline, Jon and Kate Gosselin will announce their divorce next week. TLC has been heavily promoting the upcoming one hour show. Their relationship is non-existent when the cameras aren't rolling.

Kate has reportedly consulted a divorce attorney and Jon is ready to file papers. The couple is avoiding one another and according to the source, Jon has set up sleeping quarters in the garage.

In an interview in May, Kevin and Jodi Kreider, Kate brother and sister-in-law, revealed that Jon told them that the marriage was over.

The one hour show in which Jon and Kate will back their announcement airs on Monday at 9 p.m.

UPDATE: According to Gawker, Jon Gosselin has been spotting looking at apartments in Trump Place on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Bachelor pad, anyone?

Word is the place is only 700 square feet, which would work out to less than 100 square feet per kid.

Last time Jay Karnes (“The Shield”) guest-starred on an episode of Burn Notice, one TV critic compiled a list of reasons why it was one of the strongest episodes of the season. So it was with great joy that Karnes’ character -- a sinister, yet sarcastic arms dealer named Tyler Brennen – made a return to Miami on Thursday night, forcing Michael to help with an elaborate weapons heist in exchange for his brother’s life. (It was, by all accounts, even better than last season’s “Sins of Omission,” when Brennen kidnapped a kid, strapped a bomb to his arm and forced Michael’s ex-fiancee to hand over a military targeting chip from a local defense contractor).

This time around, the stakes were higher. With Nate in town to secure investors for his limousine company, he became the bad guy's ultimate leverage, unsuspectingly held hostage by an enforcer from Sicily nicknamed "The Butcher." At the same time, Michael became a glorified errand boy for Brennen, forced to track down a hardware key to break into a weapons manufacturer called JLA Industries. Brennen's piece de resistance? A biometric lock for advanced industry weapons he was apparently selling to the highest bidder.

Are they going to announce a separation? A divorce? At this point anything is possible and TLC knows that Jon and Kate Gosselin's marital troubels mean potentially huge ratings for their top viewed show "Jon & Kate Plus 8."

That's why TLC is promoting Monday's episode which apparently was changed from the original schedule and promises "an announcement" from the embattled couple.

According to newly airing TLC promos, Monday's episode will feature a one hour special, and the captions had the phrases "A Family in Turmoil", "A Relationship at a Crossroads", "Where do they go from here?" and "Jon and Kate have an announcement," reported writer Jessica Carslon. The commercial also featured Kate's voice over saying, "Recently, we've made some life changing decisions. Decisions that will affect every member of our family, ones that we hope will bring each of us some peace." The images shown made it a point of emphasizing distance between Jon and Kate.

Carlson said TLC was replacing the originally planned "Mother's Day Episode" which was to feature Kate celebrating Mother's Day with brunch at her favorite restaurant, then packing for a book tour.

In what was sure to be the worst-kept secret this side of Hollywood, reports have confirmed that T.R. Knight is leaving Grey's Anatomy.

Michael Ausiello broke the news just a few minutes ago on The Ausiello Files at EW.com. In the report he says that Knight's wish to be released from his contract has been granted, while at the same time many other cast members are just receiving their pickup letters from ABC.

Knight's character, Dr. George O'Malley, was hit by a bus and was virtually unrecognizeable during the season finale in May. At the close of the show, both O'Malley and Katherine Heigl's Izzie Stevens flatlined, leaving fans to speculate that one or both would not survive. Heigl's drama behind-the-scenes has also been well-documented, and her character now suffers from a deadly and aggressive form of skin cancer on the show.

Grey's fans, are you upset with the news? Would you watch the show without George and Izzie?

Just when you thought it couldn't get more dysfunctional in the "Jon & Kate Plus 8" household.

The cover of In Touch magazine has four photos of Kate Gosselin, including two that reportedly show her hitting Leah.

Photographers camped outside the family's Berks County home snapped the images.

Supposedly, Leah was blowing a whistle outside with the other children. When Kate told her to stop, she didn't listen so Kate spanked her and then walked away drinking coffee, according to the magazine.

The Gosselins have been on tabloid covers for weeks as their relationship has gone south. Jon and Kate spent their 10th anniversary apart last week.

We live-streamed the 2009 CMT Music Awards tonight. You can check out more by visiting the L.A. Times Music Blog, which will eventually include the Best and Worst Moments of the show. Until then, feel free to add your own in the comments section!

Rumor has it actress Katie Holmes will appear in an upcoming episode of Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance."

On Monday, Holmes was spotted arriving at a sound stage on the studio where STYCDairs live each week, reportedly rehearsing for a “special performance” for an upcoming episode of the popular reality show. A source told Usmagazine.com that she will perform in a massive movie musical production byTyce Diorio, one of SYTYCD's regular choreographers.

While those connected with the series will not comment on Holme's appearance, judge and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe let slip to paparazzi that he's met with Mrs. Tom Cruise, and that the show has something "very, very, very special" in the works. Exactly when the episode will air still is uncertain. Some speculate her number will be aired on the show's 100th episode on July 8. Others guess it might during the show's sixth season in the fall. And there the possibility, since news leaked out, that it might air this week.

Not exactly a dance newbie, Katie showed off her skills last year, when she guest starred as a sexy jazz dancer and performed "Hit Me With a Hot Note" in a dream sequence on ABC's now-canceled drama "Eli Stone." She also appeared on Broadway in "All My Sons."

Unless you've been living in a cave on the moon, or whether you watch late night TV or whether you don't, you've probably heard about David Letterman's faux pas on Monday's show involving the Palin family. (Yes, that Palin family. Apparently it's unacceptable to some people that they've been largely off the radar since November).

So it was one thing for Letterman to describe Gov. Sarah Palin's "slutty flight attendant look" -- a comment to which she did not take exception -- but a whole 'nuther ball of wax for the Late Show host to satirize the Palin family's visit to a New York Yankees game.

"There was one awkward moment during the seventh inning stretch," Letterman deadpanned. "Her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez."

Palin immediatley went on the attack, calling him "perverted" and suggesting the remark was aimed at her 14-year-old daughter, Willow. Letterman then issued a clarification, saying he was referring to 18-year-old Bristol Palin. She wanted an apology. He conceeded the line was "an act of desperation." Neither of them have shut up about it since.

Not suprisingly, Letterman's numbers have jumped significantly. Twice in the last week he's managed to win the late-night war with new NBC rival Conan O'Brien, coming out on top in the early metered market ratings (something he couldn't do against Jay Leno in at least eight months).

USA Network's In Plain Sight continues to win over critics and fans alike with its unique blend of action, comedy and drama. This Sunday’s special episode, “A Frond In Need” may prove to be US Marshal Mary Shannon’s deadliest case yet.

What if the person Mary was sworn to protect was really a killer? Will she find out the truth before it’s too late?

Guest-starring is Laura Prepon from That 70's Show (and most recently seen in October Road and How I Met Your Mother).

If last week's pilot episode of Royal Pains was to show the similarities between that and its ubber cool lead-in Burn Notice, last night's episode made sure to highlight their stark differences.

At this juncture -- just two episodes in -- I would classify Royal Pains as much more of a comedy than a drama, the struggle between good and evil in the 9PM hour vs. the struggle of biting your tongue and keeping your job at 10PM.

That Hank is ready to embrace his new lifestyle even a little bit is what will keep this freshman series from churning out bland episodes. After all, he's playing Doctor in the Hamptons, not Newark, N.J., and anybody that can walk around and not appreciate (just for a brief moment or two) how the other half lives is kidding themselves.

I also love that Dr. Hank has flaws - he's far from a housekeeper, he's not above telling people how to raise their children and he'll hijack confidential information in a heartbeat if it means helping folks who are swimming in debt and drowning in red tape.

Last night's episode was less entertaining than the pilot, but I love the relationship that's blossoming between Hank and Tucker. To me it is less irritating cliche (as I have seen it described elsewhere) and more a look at the reality of distant parents and what happens to kids with no adult role models in their lives.

On the flip side, Paulo Costanzo continues to bring the funny as Hank's loveable CPA of a brother. His goofy ballet performance while cooking up a batch of lobster and garlic bread had me wishing to see the gag reel. But when he yelled, "Shock her! Hit her! Feed her a Snickers!" while Hank worked another medical miracle with an ancient-looking first aid kit had me choking on the glass of wine I was drinking.

With the boys’ fourth album, “Lines, Vines and Trying Times,” due out Tuesday, the full-media press is on, and the group made two network TV appearances within eight hours today – playing “Late Night with David Letterman,” then showing up on “Good Morning America.”

Interestingly, the two shows demonstrated the awkward position the Jonases are in: Having risen to stardom as the ‘tween dream, their legions of fans are largely too young to drive to concerts or record stores. But as the brothers age – two of them can now legally vote -- they’re looking for the kind of credibility that will extend their careers with an older and more musically discerning audience.

They played one song the same on both appearances – the album’s first single, “Paranoid.” Musically, it’s the exact right step for the Jonases: brooding and building, with hints of early U2 and catchy, it sounds positively mature.

So did the way they played it on Letterman: on a dark stage, backlit with their band in the shadows, a theater-sized audience and them looking for all the world like the young pop-punkers they could be, with Nick and Kevin on guitars.

The “GMA” performance was significantly different: In New York’s Central Park, in front of a huge, screaming audience, the song lost much of its urgency. They looked more like end-stage ‘NSync, running around a stage more fitting for the arenas and stadiums they’ll be playing when the North American leg of their tour starts a week from Saturday, and mugging for the huge crowd, which stood all morning in the rain.

But “GMA,” no fools they, apparently realize the draw of Jonas and kept the boys on for 25 minutes, also playing the new song “Poison Ivy” – also more ‘NSync-ish, with a harder edge – and two previous hits, “S.O.S” and “Burnin’ Up.” In fact, “GMA” stretched them over the full two-hour show, introducing them with the opening credits, interviewing them and showing snippets of other songs they performed for the crowd only: a solo-acoustic “Love Bug” and “Hold Tight.”

“GMA” also hyped the event as “the biggest concert event of the summer” and “the Stanley Cup and NBA Final all rolled into one.”

But the Letterman show was exponentially cooler – probably precisely because it lacked the hype that soon will be gone

OK, we talk a lot about Jon and Kate Plus 8 Plus Marital Difficulties Plus Their Kids are Cute. You either you love them or you hate them. But this video put me squaring in the "hate her" camp for Kate. It's behind-the-scenes footage by Access Hollywood via Gawker that shows Kate and the kids before their interview.

Mady asked for water, saying she's dehydrated and some of the other kids are complaining of thirst. Kate, being the spectacular mother that she is proceeds to do this:

Gawker suggests the kids should shave Kate's head as punishment. I can't disagree.

Do you think she's out of line drinking in front of her thristy daughter or was Mady being bratty? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

If the end of season two made it apparent that Michael Westen is truly a man without country, season three has introduced us to a whole new problem – that Michael is now a dude with a gigantic bullseye on his back. That the people hunting him down aren’t just old enemies, but folks with shiny gold shields, handcuffs and leather gun holsters sort of brings a whole new urgency to the situation. After all, our compelling and enigmatic hero is going to have a hard time helping anyone while sitting behind bars in a Miami jail – which is where he found himself for the second straight week on Burn Notice.

Yes, Michael’s got another lady in his life and she goes by the name of Detective Michelle Paxson. This one isn’t exactly tall, blonde and evil (goodbye Tricia Helfer, hello Moon Bloodgood), and she’d rather run through Michael’s friends and family with questions instead of bullets. The problem is that she’s apparently had her eye on the spy since he landed in the sun-drenched city and now has a name and a face to match to all the mayhem.

Or so she thinks.

If there’s one thing Burn Notice has been careful about, it’s Michael and friends leaving any sort of calling card in their wake. A disguise here, an alias there and -- almost always -- no fingerprints (here’s hoping Det. Paxson didn’t go searching Nefzi’s counterfitting headquarters last season, since Michael touched just about every surface in the place. Plus there was a dead body on the floor and all...) Otherwise, she’s got little evidence against him and it’s likely to stay that way -- especially with Mike and the gang employing the use of a water saw to gain access to that storage locker full of C-4.

The cast of the darkly funny FX show "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is shooting exterior shots in Philadelphia today and tomorrow. Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito, Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day will shoot at the Ben Franklin Bridge, the Italian Market, Overbrook, Dave and Buster's, the Holiday Inn at 10th street and Packer Ave. in South Philly.

Production makes this trip once a year to the city of Brotherly Love, then heads back to a Hollywood studio for the rest of the shots. The fifth season of the show begins in September.

I'll try to make you a convert with an excerpt from the musical "The Nightman Cometh". Enjoy.

AMC has announced the Mad Men season three premiere date as August 16 at 10/9c. The show will be airing with limited commercial interruption.

Leading up to the new season will be a Mad Men marathon on Monday, August 10, from 7AM to 8PM, featuring all 13 episodes from the second season.

And -- beginning today, the first season is available On Demand, in both standard- and high-definition. (Season Two will be available On Demand starting Monday, July 20). The pilot episode entitled “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” is available now for live streaming on www.amctv.com.

As if martial troubles and being tabloid fodder is not enough, Jon and Kate Gosselin can't sell their house and now Jon reportedly got caught again in photos with a young schoolteacher.

The news today that mortgage interest rates are creeping further flattening the tanking real estate market, adds to the long list of the Gosselin family's travails.

The couple, co-stars of the TLC show "Jon & Kate Plus 8" have been trying -- and so far failing -- to sell their former home in Elizabethtown, Lancaster County, People.com reports. The 5-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath, Cape Cod-style house has been on the market for 89 days and counting.

Season 4 of "Jon & Kate Plus Eight" showed contractors getting the house in tiptop shape before it went up for sale. The home, for which the Gosselins paid $280,000 in 2006, is in a neighborhood where houses are generally built on one-third-acre lots. With their newfound fame and wealth, the Gosselins have decamped for a 24-acre gated estate in Wernersville, Berks County(shown above,) where the eight kids were spotted this weekend after returning home from a vacation in Bald Head Island, N.C.

Jon was also seen cruising the grounds on his John Deere tractor. Kate and Jon had been apart for nearly two weeks. Jon was notably absent while Kate relaxed at the resort with the children.

Meanwhile, new photos have surfaced of Jon and 23-year-old Deanna Hummel, adding more scandal to his stormy marriage. Jon briefly told photographers last week that if they wanted an update on his marriage, they would need to "watch the show."

Are you the next American Idol? Or perhaps a more appropriate question - is your wallet deep enough to get you to Hollywood?

Auditions begin this week for Season 9, and the only way you'll be a part of the action is by plane, train or automobile. You'll also need to get there fast.

FOX has released audition dates and sites, and Boston is the closest location to the Lehigh Valley for those with a pipe dream. (In case you're curious, a 5 hour and 13 minute drive if you hop on I-95 and don't stop until you hit Gillette Stadium, according to GoogleMaps).

Here's the entire list, starting with Beantown:

Boston, Gillette Stadium, June 12 and June 13 registration, June 14 auditions

Atlanta, Georgia Dome, June 16 and June 17 registration, June 18 auditions

Chicago, United Center, June 20 and June 21 registration, June 22 auditions

Dallas, Cowboys Stadium, June 24 and June 25 registration, June 26 auditions

Los Angeles, Rose Bowl, June 28 and June 29 registration, June 30 auditions

Orlando, Amway Arena, July 7 and July 8 registration, July 9 auditions

Denver, INVESCO Field at Mile High, July 12 and July 13 registration, July 14 auditions

According to the American Idol Web site, auditions are open to people ages 16-28 as of June 12 who are eligible to work in the United States.

I don't know about you guys and gals, but I'm finding it harder to be away from my television in the summer months than I normally do during the fall season.

Just this past weekend I racked up a slew of programs on the DVR, including In Plain Sight, Nurse Jackie, Army Wives and Raising the Bar - just to name a few. Meanwhile, at least 7.1 million of you watched the season premiere of TNT's The Closer on Monday night, making it ad-supported cable's biggest audience for a scripted series this year.

In fact, numbers were high across the board this last week. USA Network's Burn Notice raked in nearly 6 million viewers, while freshman drama Royal Pains was the third most-watched show of the week, finishing just behind TLC's Jon & Kate Plus 8, which reeled in 5.946 million to take the No. 2 spot. (For the curious few, Bravo’s Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List delivered nearly one million total viewers last night, making it the network’s highest rated Monday original series telecast ever in all demographics.)

Keeping these numbers in mind (these are your favorite shows, after all), we're adding a handsome widget along the right rail of the page courtesy of TVbytheNumbers, which is a virtual online warehouse of useful data about the television industry.

As mentioned last week, Jimmy Fallon has been working hard to orchestrate a reunion on his show in observance of the 20th anniversary of Saved by the Bell. He has already started an online petition, and last night, two additional original cast members agreed to the reunion and Zack Morris himself - Mark-Paul Gosselaar appeared on the show.

Gosselaar, who has been busy promoting his TNT legal drama Raising the Bar, walked on stage in his original Saved by the Bell attire, then used his awesome retro cell phone to ring up Elizabeth Berkley (Jessie Spano), who also agreed to be part of the reunion.

To close out the evening, Gosselaar also took to the stage with Fallon's house band and played an original Zack Attack hit called "Friends Forever."

So what do you think Watchers? Is this pop culture at its best, or should Gosselaar and his Saved by the Bell castmates stick to those "Where are they now?" updates we see every five or 10 years?

Apparently shot in happier days, pre-tabloid, "Jon & Kate Plus 8 Plus 8"s 100 th episode had Emeril Lagasse, celebrity chef and owner of the hottest new restaurant at the Sands Casion Bethlehem on the show Monday. Emeril was on hand to demonstrate how to cook economical meals for large families - something that Jon and Kate don't really need to worry about.

“I think the biggest thing being with Jon and Kate today has been the challenge of cooking for large families. What I want to tell folks out there is to think healthy and think economical. And casseroles are a great way to stretch that dollar,” Emeril said. Of course, for the Berks County couple who make a reported $40,000 per episode, stretching a dollar probably isn't a priority.

Emeril helped the couple prepare a yummy meal of casseroles and granola, and then the hapless chef got whacked with a spatula by Kate after defending Jon in the kitchen. BAM!

The visit was to celebrate what Kate called the “accomplishment” of reaching 100 episodes.

An interesting debate has started in the blogosphere about whether or not TLC should cancel its cash cow "Jon & Kate Plus 8," in light of their marital struggles.

Citing the family's "serious real-life issues," Richard Huff said in the Daily News last week that it was time for TLC to realize the show is "broken" and move on.

He says the show which co-stars Jon and Kate Gosselin, the Berks County couple who by most reports are living apart, "will never go back to being the sweet, if not occasionally annoying, series it was before."

However it's hard to believe TLC will pull the plug on a show that drew in nearly 10 million people with its opening episode for the fifth season. The second weeks' episodes drew a reported 5.8 million viewers, a huge drop but still better than last year's top numbers for the show.

But Huff, calling the series a "trainwreck" suggests once the rubbernecking is done, the viewers will flee.

Disagreeing is Tom O'Nei in the LA Times who says the couple's public martial woes have made the show "Must-see TV" and suggests it could be in the running for an Emmy award. He says reviews for the new season's episodes which he terms "Surprisingly revealing" have been very good.

He reports TLC sent a DVD of "Jon & Kate" to Academy of Television Arts & Sciences members as part of the Discovery network's Emmy campaign and producers submitted last week's premiere, "Turning Five & the Future," which was shot just days before airing.

Even Dr. Laura Schlessinger on DrLaura.com has weighed in, comparing the show to putting the children in a circus freak show.

"I have no respect for these parents," she says. "Is it in the children’s best interests to be used as entertainment by two parents so self-absorbed that they put money and celebrity in front of their children’s privacy?"

With their reality show “Jon & Kate Plus 8” still drawing huge numbers for TLC and the Pennsylvania Labor Department investigating to see the show is complying with child labor laws, Jon and Kate Gosselin continue to be making the covers of tabloids and news magazine. This week, the usually reticent Jon was featured on the cover of People Magazine speaking out about his children. According to the interview, Jon says his eight children aren’t being exploited by appearing in the family’s reality TV series. “I don’t even want to use that word, because I think it’s ridiculous,” Jon told People magazine. “We have healthy, happy, well-adjusted, educated kids. They’re bouncing around and having a good time.” Both Jon and Kate have been reported as being involved in marital infidelities, allegations both deny. However they admitted on air that their marriage has been struggling. “I think all parents, and anyone who is married, are always going to have times when you’re upset with someone,” Jon told People. “This is a reality show, so you’re going to see real emotion.” Meanwhile Kate – minus Jon – took the brood to the beach at Bald Head Island, N.C., where TLC cameras recorded the children frolicking on the beach for the show. TLC has said it “fully complies” with state laws and regulations in response to the child labor probe.

Even if the world had been applauding Michael Westen at the end of last season’s Burn Notice, it would’ve been hard to hear.

Determined to cut ties with those who had blackballed him in the intelligence community, Michael made the jump from a helicopter about five miles from the shores of South Beach. Once he hit the water, ringing in his ears were not just threats but promises of the hell that would rain down on the wisecracking former superspy-for-hire now that “management” was no longer looking out for him.

Score one for the mystery men.

As season three opens, Michael finds himself back in Miami water-logged, exhausted and with no chance to indulge in a little R&R. By the time he hits the sand, the police have taken note of his arrival. Management’s first gift is a few days in lockup, complete with orange jumpsuit, meals that even your dog wouldn’t touch and a greeting card with an ominous message: Let us know when you’ve had enough.

Business only picks up from there, as Michael is bailed from the clink by an old buddy named Harlan (Brian Van Holt) who turns out to have some serious ulterior motives. He wants Michael’s help (or does he?) in bringing down Rufino Cortez, the man behind a corrupt land grab in South America. To make matters worse, Michael’s new cover ID doesn’t afford him much protection in a dangerous undercover game that leaves him bleeding, battered and in serious need of backup.

TLC is on the prowl for more families of multiples. According to US magazine, an ad was placed via Craiglist which read:

"TLC is now looking for NY, NJ, and CT families who are expecting twins, triplets, or more! We would capture the birth of the babies and witness their amazing first breath, first cry, and all the emotions that go along with such an incredible occasion. Then, TLC will be there as you leave the hospital and adjust to your first few days at home as a family."

The network is officially obsessed with massive families. In addition to "Jon and Kate Plus 8," TLC also shows "18 Kids and Counting" (about the Duggar family and their J-named progeny) and "Table for 12".

Because of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor's investigative into the treatment of the children on "Jon and Kate Plus 8," and the marital difficulties the couple is going through, TLC may lose one of its best-rated shows.

You know, you never see much promotion of the network's Emmy-winning series "A Baby Story". I was surprised to find that it still airs. Parents and usually ONE baby. The show documented an act thousands of families go through every day. Why not promote it more?

By continuing to up the ante -- "25 Kids in a Shoe"! "Watch 8 Kids Learn About Divorce"!, TLC ignores the simple joys and tribulations of being a family instead of a media freak show.

Octomom Nadya Suleman has thrown down the gauntlet in the battle of the prolific wombs, or as I like to call it, "An Exploration of Irony".

The background: Kate Gosselin (of the TLC show "Jon and Kate Plus 8") was recently on Dr. Phil and said it would be "difficult" for Suleman to raise a large number of children without a husband to help with parenting.

According to an interview released this morning on Radar Online, the mother of 14 had this to say of the Berks-based Kate Gosselin:

"She has her own issues ... She needs to stop being so judgmental and stop pulling straws for attention... Don't you have, like, a lot of issues in your life? A lot of marital problems?"

Suleman also compared Kate to her own mother.

In other news, it was announced that Suleman has signed a deal for her own reality show. Anyone have a good title for it?

Anyone concerned that "The Tonight Show" was going to take Conan O'Brien out of his element need not be concerned. Yes, the stage is bigger, the band has a bit of a different name and the set is flanked by an LA-at-night backdrop. The one thing that didn't change was Conan himself, and that's definitely a good thing.

Monday's opening night included Conan's trademark little dance as he strolled on stage, a few good-natured barbs at his howling audience and a monologue full of self-mocking, boy-my-hair-still-looks-funny jokes.

What drew the most laughs by far, however, were the pre-taped bits -- including a hilarious cold open in which Conan forgot to move to LA, attempted to hail a cab in New York City and then ran all the way across the country. Take a look ...

"Jon & Kate Plus 8" has been the latest TV program to stoke viewers interest in larger-than-life families, but mega-families have always been fodder for movies and television

While the Gosselin family is an undeniably real live family whose TV fame came from their reality show on TLC, the public's fascination with oversized families is obvious from the proliferation of TV and movies that featured families with lots of kids. Our Newsday colleague Frank Lovece put together a list of TV and movie families in descending order of number of children.

18 kids - "Yours, Mine and Ours," The 1968 movies starred Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball as a couple with a blended family, he had 10 and she had eight. A 2005 remake starring Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo had the same configuration of kids but included an Asian and a black adopted child among the wife's eight.

12 kids - "Cheaper by the Dozen," The original 1950 film was based on the real life story of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth and their 12 children. A 2003 remake of the comedy starred Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt as the ahrried parents.

8 kids - "Eight is Enough," This TV series debuted in 1977 and ran for five seasons on ABC. Dick Van Patten starred as Sacarmento newspaper columnist Tom Bradford who had eight independent children.

7 kids - "The Waltons," Earle Hamner Jr's semiautobiographical novel "Spencer's Mountain" spawned the beloved TV series that started with a 1971 special "The Homecoming" and continued from 1972 to 1981 on CBS.

6 kids - "The Brady Bunch" The ultimate story of a blended family, the popular series ran from 1969 to 1974 and spawned a 1995 movie that starred Allentown native Christine Taylor as eldest daughter Marcia.